What You Need To Know In Ottawa Today

Madely's Morning Minute - April 24

580 CFRA

Thursday April 24, 2014

Mark Sutcliffe fills in for Steve Madely

Madely's Top 5

5. Gas prices continue to rise

You’re going to be paying more for gas this week. Across Canada, higher prices have been reported, with some regions hitting all-time highs. In Montreal, prices hit $1.53 per litre yesterday, up nine-and-a-half cents from Tuesday. Ottawa is close to the national average, which is about $1.37. And prices are expected to rise again today. Some people are saying they will go above the previous records of May 2011. Former Liberal MP Dan McTeague, who monitors the market, says the spike in prices will likely lead to a reduction in consumption, which will bring the prices back down again.

4. Transit operator violence penalties

Mayor Jim Watson, the chair of the transit commission Diane Deans, and the head of the local transit union Craig Watson have all joined the call for tougher penalties for violence against bus and taxi drivers. Senator Bob Runciman will hold a news conference today at noon Ottawa City Hall to announce plans to introduce a new bill. The bill would amend the criminal code to make the assault of on-duty transit operators an aggravating factor for sentencing purposes. The bill will include taxi drivers in its definition of public transit operator.

3. Alcohol selling fight heats up

Ontario’s convenience stores are fighting back against what they say is fear mongering by the Beer Store. Last week the Beer Store released an ad that suggested if alcohol was sold in convenience stores it would be more likely that children would be able to purchase it. The ad depicted minors purchasing alcohol in a corner store without being checked for ID by the man behind the counter. The slogan for the ad was “Alcohol in convenience stores? It’s just not right for our kids.” Ontario Convenience Stores Association CEO David Bryans said yesterday, “Convenience stores have demonstrated their ability to responsibly sell age-restricted products with the highest standards in the province.”

2. Definition of ‘middle class’

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau refused to answer reporters’ questions about the middle class yesterday. For months, Trudeau has been campaigning on a message that Canada’s middle class is falling behind. Yesterday, the New York Times released an international study that showed Canada has the richest middle class in the world. For the first time, middle-class incomes in Canada have surpassed those in the United States. This follows a Statistics Canada study in February showing that the net worth of Canadian families net worth rose 44.5% since 2005 and nearly 80% since 1999 and that the share of Canadian net worth held by the middle class grew at a faster rate than that of the richest Canadians. But after giving a speech at a skateboard shop yesterday, Trudeau would not answer questions about the new data.

1. Tight Ontario race

The latest poll of Ontario voters suggests if there’s an election this spring it will be a very tight race. Nanos Research has released a survey showing the Liberals and the Progressive Conservatives tied at 36%, with the NDP at 22%. In March, the Liberals held a three-point lead. Nanos suggests a polarization of voters might be taking place. When asked about the most important issue, 22% said jobs and the economy, 14% health care, 6% said the debt and deficit, another 6% said high taxes. A total of 52% said they would consider voting for the Liberals, compared to 44% for the PCs and 37% for the NDP.

A Free family pass for the Ottawa Train Expo at the EY Centre this Saturday or Sunday; doors open at 10 and the passes include admission for 2 adults and up to 3 children

Free registration for two people for adult recreational sports leagues at Carleton University. Sports include basketball, squash, ball hockey, soccer and hockey. Visit athletics.carleton.ca for more info.

All of our winners this week will be entered to win: A $300 gift certificate from J.A. Laporte Flowers & Nursery. J.A. Laporte, the door to every gardener's dream! 12-11 Old Montreal Road and online at laportegardens.com

Coming up today on CFRA:

Rob Snow's Afternoon Edition - 3p-6p --- Rob Snow's Afternoon Edition covers breaking news and updates you on what's developed in the stories you heard on the way to work this morning! From interesting short features and reporter de-briefings, to breaking business news updates, traveller's weather, interviews with newsmakers, and open phone segments to let you hear what your neighbours are saying about the biggest stories of the day.

Host

Host

Mark Sutcliffe is an Ottawa native and a longtime writer, broadcaster, entrepreneur and volunteer. He writes two columns a week in the Ottawa Citizen, where he was previously executive editor.

He is the author of Why I Run and Canada's Magnificent Marathon. Mark hosts a national Sunday morning political show, The Week, on CPAC. He is also the CEO of Great River Media Inc., an Ottawa-based media company that operates the Ottawa Business Journal and other media and event properties.